A Stafford woman has been found guilty of possessing an offensive weapon in a private place after police discovered a banned zombie knife and an extendable baton inside a property.
Weapons seized during property search
Kirsty Rigby, aged 34, of Stafford, was convicted at Cannock Magistrates' Court on Tuesday, 13 January. The court heard that officers from West Mercia Police searched a property off Marston Road in Stafford on 21 November last year.
During the search, they recovered two weapons which were on full display. The first was a zombie knife, which featured a serrated 8.5-inch blade and a flat cutting blade at the bottom. The second was a black extendable baton equipped with a spring-loaded locking mechanism and a sharp circular point at the base of its handle.
National crackdown on banned blades
The conviction comes amid a continued national effort to tackle knife crime. Zombie knives were made illegal in September 2024, when it became an offence to own, manufacture, import, or sell them.
Following Rigby's conviction, PC Liam Matthews stated: “I’m glad the jury found Rigby guilty of the offences, and we managed to get these weapons out of circulation.”
A police spokesperson highlighted the wider context, noting that since 2024, almost 4,000 knives have been voluntarily surrendered through amnesty bins as part of the 'Ditch the Blade' campaign under the national Operation Sceptre.
Remanded ahead of sentencing
Kirsty Rigby has been remanded in custody and is scheduled to appear for a sentencing hearing in April. The case underscores the ongoing police focus on removing dangerous weapons from communities.
The seizure and subsequent conviction demonstrate the continued enforcement of the 2024 ban, aimed at reducing the availability of such weapons and enhancing public safety.
